Stock Analysis on Net

Norfolk Southern Corp. (NYSE:NSC)

This company has been moved to the archive! The financial data has not been updated since April 27, 2022.

Return on Capital (ROC)

Microsoft Excel

Return on capital (ROC) is after tax rate of return on net business assets. ROIC is unaffected by changes in interest rates or company debt and equity structure. It measures business productivity performance.


Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)

Norfolk Southern Corp., ROIC calculation, comparison to benchmarks

Microsoft Excel
Dec 31, 2021 Dec 31, 2020 Dec 31, 2019 Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Net operating profit after taxes (NOPAT)1 3,711 2,658 3,546 3,300 2,921
Invested capital2 35,469 35,427 35,233 34,104 33,382
Performance Ratio
ROIC3 10.46% 7.50% 10.06% 9.68% 8.75%
Benchmarks
ROIC, Competitors4
FedEx Corp. 11.15% 4.40% 2.29% 9.75%
Uber Technologies Inc. -5.09% -31.45% -40.29%
Union Pacific Corp. 13.09% 11.40% 12.88%
United Parcel Service Inc. 34.07% 3.42% 14.07%

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).

1 NOPAT. See details »

2 Invested capital. See details »

3 2021 Calculation
ROIC = 100 × NOPAT ÷ Invested capital
= 100 × 3,711 ÷ 35,469 = 10.46%

4 Click competitor name to see calculations.

Performance ratio Description The company
ROIC A measure of the periodic, after tax, cash-on-cash yield earned in the business. Norfolk Southern Corp. ROIC deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 but then improved from 2020 to 2021 exceeding 2019 level.

Decomposition of ROIC

Norfolk Southern Corp., decomposition of ROIC

Microsoft Excel
ROIC = OPM1 × TO2 × 1 – CTR3
Dec 31, 2021 10.46% = 40.73% × 0.31 × 81.77%
Dec 31, 2020 7.50% = 32.35% × 0.28 × 83.92%
Dec 31, 2019 10.06% = 36.44% × 0.32 × 86.16%
Dec 31, 2018 9.68% = 35.37% × 0.34 × 81.43%
Dec 31, 2017 8.75% = 35.12% × 0.32 × 78.84%

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).

1 Operating profit margin (OPM). See calculations »

2 Turnover of capital (TO). See calculations »

3 Effective cash tax rate (CTR). See calculations »

The primary reason for the increase in return on invested capital (ROIC) over 2021 year is the increase in profitability measured by operating profit margin (OPM) ratio.


Operating Profit Margin (OPM)

Norfolk Southern Corp., OPM calculation, comparison to benchmarks

Microsoft Excel
Dec 31, 2021 Dec 31, 2020 Dec 31, 2019 Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Net operating profit after taxes (NOPAT)1 3,711 2,658 3,546 3,300 2,921
Add: Cash operating taxes2 827 509 570 753 784
Net operating profit before taxes (NOPBT) 4,539 3,167 4,116 4,053 3,705
 
Railway operating revenues 11,142 9,789 11,296 11,458 10,551
Profitability Ratio
OPM3 40.73% 32.35% 36.44% 35.37% 35.12%
Benchmarks
OPM, Competitors4
FedEx Corp. 9.60% 4.03% 2.35% 8.39%
Uber Technologies Inc. -2.86% -57.75% -56.69%
Union Pacific Corp. 44.40% 41.95% 40.84%
United Parcel Service Inc. 17.83% 3.14% 8.61%

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).

1 NOPAT. See details »

2 Cash operating taxes. See details »

3 2021 Calculation
OPM = 100 × NOPBT ÷ Railway operating revenues
= 100 × 4,539 ÷ 11,142 = 40.73%

4 Click competitor name to see calculations.

Profitability ratio Description The company
OPM The operating profit margin (OPM) is the ratio of pretax economic earnings, or NOPBT, to sales. Norfolk Southern Corp. OPM deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 but then improved from 2020 to 2021 exceeding 2019 level.

Turnover of Capital (TO)

Norfolk Southern Corp., TO calculation, comparison to benchmarks

Microsoft Excel
Dec 31, 2021 Dec 31, 2020 Dec 31, 2019 Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Railway operating revenues 11,142 9,789 11,296 11,458 10,551
Invested capital1 35,469 35,427 35,233 34,104 33,382
Efficiency Ratio
TO2 0.31 0.28 0.32 0.34 0.32
Benchmarks
TO, Competitors3
FedEx Corp. 1.31 1.20 1.31 1.22
Uber Technologies Inc. 1.09 0.53 0.69
Union Pacific Corp. 0.37 0.33 0.38
United Parcel Service Inc. 2.19 2.55 2.04

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).

1 Invested capital. See details »

2 2021 Calculation
TO = Railway operating revenues ÷ Invested capital
= 11,142 ÷ 35,469 = 0.31

3 Click competitor name to see calculations.

Efficiency ratio Description The company
TO The turnover of capital (TO) is the ratio of sales to invested capital. Capital turnover is a function of the efficiency of working capital management and of net fixed assets. Norfolk Southern Corp. TO deteriorated from 2019 to 2020 but then improved from 2020 to 2021 not reaching 2019 level.

Effective Cash Tax Rate (CTR)

Norfolk Southern Corp., CTR calculation, comparison to benchmarks

Microsoft Excel
Dec 31, 2021 Dec 31, 2020 Dec 31, 2019 Dec 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017
Selected Financial Data (US$ in millions)
Net operating profit after taxes (NOPAT)1 3,711 2,658 3,546 3,300 2,921
Add: Cash operating taxes2 827 509 570 753 784
Net operating profit before taxes (NOPBT) 4,539 3,167 4,116 4,053 3,705
Tax Rate
CTR3 18.23% 16.08% 13.84% 18.57% 21.16%
Benchmarks
CTR, Competitors4
FedEx Corp. 11.08% 9.29% 25.81% 4.95%
Uber Technologies Inc.
Union Pacific Corp. 21.23% 18.83% 16.88%
United Parcel Service Inc. 12.80% 57.24% 19.83%

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2021-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2019-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2018-12-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2017-12-31).

1 NOPAT. See details »

2 Cash operating taxes. See details »

3 2021 Calculation
CTR = 100 × Cash operating taxes ÷ NOPBT
= 100 × 827 ÷ 4,539 = 18.23%

4 Click competitor name to see calculations.

Tax rate Description The company
CTR Effective cash tax rate on operating income. Norfolk Southern Corp. CTR increased from 2019 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2021.